Much like movie industry executives await the Oscar nomination list every January, hospitals look forward to July, when U.S. News & World Report [1]releases its annual Best Hospital Rankings [2].
And for the third year in a row, Baptist Health hospitals made the prestigious list, earning top-10 rankings in South Florida and top-25 in Florida.
On the list released today, Baptist Hospital [3]ranks #2 for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale regional rankings. South Miami Hospital [4] placed #3, followed by Doctors Hospital [5] at #6. Homestead Hospital [6]rounds out the top 10. Mariners Hospital [7] is too small and West Kendall Baptist Hospital [8] is too new to be considered for the U.S. News rankings.
Patient survival rates, nurse staffing levels and how many doctors would refer their most complicated cases to the hospitals all factor into the rankings. U.S. News & World Report looks at these measurements from nearly 5,000 hospitals across the United States. Those 5,000 hospitals are divided into several hundred regions to identify the top hospitals in those regions.
Baptist Health’s hospitals collectively earned 27 high-performing recognition medals in 11 of 12 medical specialties included in the measurements – cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology & GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology. The hospitals didn’t rank in the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) category.
“This recognition by U.S. News & World Report shows the commitment of our doctors, nurses and staff to providing the best care to the patients we serve in our community,” said Thinh Tran, M.D., Baptist Health’s Chief Medical and Quality Officer. “The way we deliver care is measured by this annual survey and holds us to a high standard, which we’re constantly striving to exceed.”
While billboards and ads will undoubtedly report these rankings, as they do each year, paying attention will make you a more informed healthcare consumer. You’ll know that the hospitals with the U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospital” logos have earned top recognition in the specialties noted. You’ll also know that the doctors you trust have confidence in those institutions – a significant endorsement like the Academy’s nomination of a film or actor.